2 November 2006
Female Train Driver First For South Island
Raquel Doreen who originally comes from Feilding, but now resides in Christchurch has become the South Islands first
female Express Freight Locomotive Engineer.
You don’t need to look far to see how Raquel developed an interest in trains as she is following in the footsteps of her
father who was a shunter working in the Manawatu area.
Raquel first started with Toll Rail in 2004 and after six months working in the Middleton Yard she then attended the
Woburn Training Centre in Wellington.
Her on the job training has seen Raquel operating express freight and unit coal trains over the Main South Line, Midland
Line and Main North Line.
The completion by Raquel of her certificate as a Locomotive Engineer means that there is now double the number of female
freight train drivers in the country as previously there was just one other, Jessica Gage who is based at Te Rapa near
Hamilton.
ENDS